Vampire
"All creatures an created in such a way as to maximize their potential to exploit the weakness of their prey. In the Vampire, it is its beauty and charm that beguiles man into temptation and death"
from The Secret History by Procopius, 550 AD
(derived from http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19546614/Modified_Vampire_Template)
Forever anchored to their coffins and the unholy earth of their graves, these nocturnal predators scheme constantly to strengthen themselves and fill the world with their foul progeny.
Vampires appear just as they did in life, although their features are often hardened and feral, with the predatory look of wolves. Like liches, they often embrace finery and decadence and may assume the guise of nobility. Despite their human appearance, vampires can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and throw no reflections in mirrors.
Vampires speak any languages they knew in life.
Vampire is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size remains unchanged.
Hit Dice: Increase all current and future hit dice to d12.
Speed: Same as the base creature. If the creature has a swim speed, the vampire retains the ability to swim and is not vulnerable to immersion in running water (see below).
AC: The base creature’s natural armor improves based on its hit dice.
Hit Dice Natural AC Bonus
1 - 2 +2
3 - 4 +4
5 - 8 +6
9-12 +8
13+ +10
Attacks: A vampire retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. A creature with natural attacks retains those as well.
Full Attack: A vampire fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or natural weapon as a secondary weapon.
Damage: Vampires have slam attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the damage values in the table below. Creatures with natural attacks retain their old damage ratings or use the values below, whichever is better.
Size Damage
Fine 1
Diminutive 1d2
Tiny 1d3
Small 1d4
Medium-size 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 2d8
Colossal 4d6
Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains those listed below. As a vampire grows in power, so too does its abilities. Saves against these abilities have a DC of 10 + ½ vampire’s HD + vampire’s Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise. When a vampire uses a special attack, its eyes glow an eerie yellow.
Hit Dice Special Attack
1 - 4 Blood drain, Create spawn
5 - 6 Domination
7 - 10 Fear, children of the night
11+ Detect thoughts[/code]
Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, inflicting Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. Roll 1d4 to determine how many points the vampire consumes (see dependencies below). The actual Constitution damage inflicted depends on the size of the victim related to the size of the vampire. If the victim is more than two sizes smaller, the vampire must completely drain it to consume one effective point. If the victim is three or more sizes larger, the vampire can consume the full four points without causing noticeable damage to the victim.
The vampire can, at their option, make the bite and drain painless. Unwary victims might not even be aware of what is happening to them. Of course, the bite mark and blood will be evident upon visual inspection. Vampires often utilize this ability when privacy or noise might be an issue.
Victim size Constitution Damage Inflicted*
Two sizes smaller 1d4 x 3
One size smaller 1d4 x 2
Same size 1d4
One size larger 1d4 / 2
Two sizes larger 1d4 / 3
*Round down, minimum or one point
Create Spawn( Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid reduced to 0 points of Constitution or less by blood drain rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial. The new vampire is under the command of the one that created it until its master’s death, or until it has as many or more hit dice or levels than the master. Upon rising, the new vampire must succeed at a Will save or permanently become evil.
Domination (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack. Except that the vampire must take a standard action. And those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed at a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influenced as though by a Dominate Person spell cast by a sorcerer of level equal to the vampire's Hit Dice. The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Fear (Su): A vampire can instill dread and terror into a victem just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack. Except that the vampire must take a standard action. And those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed at a Will save or be overcome with terror as though by a Fear spell cast by a sorcerer of level equal to the vampire's Hit Dice. The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth a pack of 4d8 dire rats, a swarm of 10d10 bats, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
Detect Thoughts (Su): As a standard action, a vampire is able to detect thoughts (as the spell) on a single living creature. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed at a Will save to avoid having it's thoughts read as though by the Read Thoughtsspell cast by a sorcerer of level equal to the vampire's Hit Dice. The range of the ability is 30 feet.
Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and those listed below, and also gains the undead type. Its powers increase with its hit dice.
[code]Hit Dice Special Quality
1 - 2 Damage reduction 5/magic, cold and electricity resistance 10, fast healing 1, scent
3 - 4 Turn resistance +4, spider climb, perfect landing
5 - 6 Damage reduction 10/magic, cold and electricity resistance 20, fast healing 5, gaseous form
7 - 9 Alternate form, increased speed
10-12 Dire form
13+ Damage reduction 10/magic and good, hybrid form[/code]
Damage Reduction (Su): A vampire’s undead body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 5/magic. As its hit dice increase, the damage reduction increases to 10/magic, and 10/magic and good.
Resistance (Ex): A vampire has cold and electricity resistance 10. The resistances increase to 20.
Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 1 point of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. As its level increases, its fast healing increases to 5 hit points per round.
Scent (Ex): A vampire gains the scent ability.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.
Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a Spider Climb spell.
Perfect Landing (Ex): A vampire is able to land safely after falling incredible distances. On a successful Tumble check (DC 10 + 2 for every ten feet, maximum DC 30 at 100 feet and beyond) the vampire takes no damage from a fall.
Gaseous Form (Su): As a full-roundaction, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will, as the spell cast by a 5th level sorcerer, but can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability. If it is reduced to 0 hit points or lower, a vampire automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours). Once at rest in its coffin, it rises to 1 hit point after 1 hour, then resumes healing at its normal rate.
Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, rat, or wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph self spell cast by a 12th-level sorcerer, except that the vampire can assume only one of the forms listed here. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.
Increased Speed (Ex): A vampires base speed increases by 10 feet.
Dire Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a dire bat, dire rat, or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability functions exactly like Alternate Form.
Hybrid Form (Su): A vampire can assume a hybrid form between its base creature type and a bat as a standard action. When in this form, its abilities and powers increase. It gains a +4 bonus to Strength, an additional +4 natural bonus to armor class, and the ability to fly at its base land speed with average maneuverability. The hybrid form gives it two claw attacks that deal damage equal to a slam attack of a vampire one size larger. When in this form, its fast healing increases to 10 hit points per round, its damage reduction increase to 15/magic and good, and its turn resistance increases to +8. This ability functions exactly like Alternate Form.
Abilities: As the vampire’s hit dice increase, so do its ability scores. As undead creatures, vampires have no Constitution score. Increase from the base creature as follows:
Hit Dice Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
1 – 2 +2 +0 - +0 +0 +2
3 - 4 +4 +2 - +0 +0 +2
5 – 6 +4 +2 - +2 +2 +2
7 – 9 +6 +4 - +2 +2 +4
10 – 12 +6 +6 - +2 +2 +6
13+ +8 +6 - +4 +4 +6
Skills: Vampires receive a racial bonus to Bluff, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. The bonus increases with the vampire’s hit dice. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Hit Dice Skill Bonus
1 - 4 +4
5 - 8 +8
9+ +12
Feats: Vampires gain bonus feats based on their level, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
[code]Hit Dice Bonus Feats
1 - 2 Alertness, Dodge
3 - 4 Improved Initiative, Leap of the Heavens, Lightning Reflexes
5 - 8 Combat Reflexes, Mobility
9+ Iron Will, Spring Attack[/code]
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground.
Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (2-5), or troop (1-2 5th level or above plus 2-5 4th level or lower).
Challenge Rating: HD 4 or less, as base creature +1; HD 5 to 8, as base creature +2, HD 9 or more, as base creature +3.
Treasure: Double standard.
Alignment: Usually evil (any).
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment:[code]Level LA
___________
1-2 +2
3-4 +3
5-6 +4
7-8 +5
9-12 +6
13+ +8[/code]
Vampire Weaknesses
For all their power, vampires have a number of weaknesses.
Dependencies
Vampires have two dependencies: blood and soil.
In order to gain proper rest, a vampire must sleep (at least eight hours) in close or near contact with its native soil, or soil from its grave. A popular method is to line a coffin (or mattress or similar bedding) with the soil, thus hiding it from obvious view. It is possible for vampires to sleep buried beneath the ground. A vampire that gains this rest is fully healed at the end of the rest. Vampires can sleep without their soil, but they lose their fast healing ability until they sleep with their soil. Also, a spellcasting or psionic vampire is unable to prepare new spells or regain spellslots or power points if they did not properly sleep with their soil.
A vampire must gain nourishment from the blood of living creatures. Vampires are capable of eating regular food, but they gain no sustenance from it. Each day, a vampire must drain at least four points of Constitution worth of blood (not necessarily from the same creature), or it becomes hungry. A hungry vampire has a very pale complexion, and after the first full day, and each day thereafter, it takes two points of Strength damage. These points do not begin to heal until the vampire has properly fed, and then gained full rest. The vampire must consume two Constitution points worth of blood for each point of Strength to be restored; thus a vampire that has not fed for several days may have to go on a feeding frenzy in order to regain the lost nourishment. A vampire that loses all of its strength from hunger dies. The only two protections from this are to feed or hibernate.
It is also important that the blood a vampire consumes comes from a living creature. Blood consumed from a dead or undead creature not only gives the vampire no sustenance, but also weakens it. A vampire that consumes “dead” blood loses all its powers and abilities until it can fully rest with its soil (thus, they can be slain as a mortal).
A vampire can hibernate for an indefinite amount of time without the need for blood, but it must be in contact with its soil to do so. When the vampire awakes, it will be hungry as if it hadn’t eaten for seven days (or the number of days of hibernation, whichever is less), causing the usual Strength damage (but never reducing the Strength score below 1).
Limitations
Vampires are unable to enter a private dwelling unless invited in. Once invited, the vampire can come and go freely. The invitation need not necessarily be willing; a vampire can dominate a person into giving an invitation.
Vampires are unwilling to enter an area affected by a hallow spell (holy ground). As soon as the vampire enters the area it begins taking damage as if in direct sunlight (see slaying a vampire below). Vampires can detect affected areas automatically.
Repelling a Vampire
Vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from a mirror or a strongly presented, holy symbol which holds the unadulterated (unfeigned) faith of the wielder. Purity of belief repels the hedonistic / nihilistic vampire. These things don’t harm the vampire – they merely keep it at bay.
They are unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so (The curse of Vesta).They may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.
Vampires are subject to turn / rebuke.
Slaying a Vampire
Simply reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or below incapacitates but doesn’t destroy it. However, certain attacks can slay vampires.
Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only standard actions, loses its dexterity bonus to AC, and all its special powers and abilities. Each round in direct sunlight, the vampire takes 1d6 cumulative fire damage and 1d6 cumulative holy damage (1d6 of each type on the first round, 2d6 on the next, 3d6 on the next, etc. The holy damage is not subject to any form of resistance or damage reduction. Partial protection (thick wool blankets, trees, direct clouds or fog) slow the damage, keeping it at 1d6 per round.
Decapitating a vampire, or otherwise fully destroying the body or head will kill a vampire (even if it has the gaseous form ability). Because of this, vampires can be decapitated by a vorpal weapon.
Driving a wooden stake though a vampire’s heart effectively paralyzes the monster. However, it returns to its normal state if the stake is removed. A popular tactic is to steak the vampire, rendering it helpless, and then either decapitating it, burning it, or leaving it in the open until sunrise. It is possible to drive a stake through a vampire's heart in combat (see stake weapons below). To do so, the attacker must threaten and confirm a critical hit. If successful, the stake paralyzes the vampire as normal. The critical hit does not deal extra damage to the vampire, and the vampire is still immune to critical hits made without stakes.
Stake Weapons:
[code]Weapon Dmg(M) Dmg(S) Critical
_________________________________________________
Light stake 1d3 1d2 20/x3
One-handed stake 1d4 1d3 20/x3
Two-handed stake 1d6 1d4 20/x3
Arrow (short) 1d4 1d3 20/x3
Arrow (long) 1d6 1d4 20/x3
Bolt (light) 1d6 1d4 19-20/x2
Bolt (heavy) 1d8 1d6 19-20/x2[/code]